Erik Uden 🍑 (@[email protected])

While the EU is forcing all social networks equally to become federated, protect user's data, delete misinformation, and stop monopolistic or gatekeeping behavior, the US is banning foreign social networks under the pretense of “national security”. With members of congress enacting this ban only acting in their own financial interests, as they own the stock of the competing American big tech companies [[1](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-27/congress-s-big-tech-stock-trading-makes-antitrust-regulation-awkward)]. Seriously, when have you seen 81% of congress agree on anything? To elect the speaker of the house it needed 18 votes and the split was disastrous. To ban TikTok? Bipartisan decision. When it comes to representing corporate interests, the United States of America has one party. A **fine of $5,000 - $10,000 or an imprisonment of up to 20 years** was supposed to be given for a different TikTok Ban (RESTRICT) last year [[2](https://www.slashgear.com/1243085/new-restrict-act-could-mean-20-years-in-prison-for-using-a-vpn-to-access-banned-apps/)], it is not certain what using a VPN to circumvent the ban would mean now.